Internet2 Recommends Broadband Infrastructure Proposals for the New Administration

The research and education (R&E) community has amassed decades of experience in the creation and development of the internet and, working hand in hand with the private sector, it continues to propel the evolution of this vital technology. As the country’s premier national R&E network (NREN), Internet2, and the larger R&E community, stands ready to help deploy and upgrade truly world-class infrastructure nationwide, and not just in select pockets of the country. To address the pending broadband challenges facing the United States, Internet2 has identified four essential proposals for the new Administration to consider as it develops and refines its national infrastructure and broadband strategy, which are clarified in a white paper that Internet2 has just released.

On May 2, 2016, the FCC released an order proposing rules that would create a new classification of services called Business Data Services (BDS). Up until this proceeding, the FCC had considered these services "special access services." In general, the FCC is trying to determine how and whether to regulate providers of BDS. The FCC is proposing to define BDS very broadly as a telecommunications service that transports data between two or more points at a rate of at least 1.5 Mbps. The proposed definition of BDS is simply too broad because it assumes that all data transport services are telecommunications services.

Internet2 has written a white paper on "The Impact of Anchor Institutions on a Community's Broadband Connections" as part of its support for the U.S. State Department's Global Connect Initiative. The paper provides insight on Internet2’s United States Unified Community Anchor Network (U.S. UCAN) model and shows how connecting Community Anchor Institutions (CAIs) to advanced broadband connections can transform entire communities.